Holiday Nostalgia: DIY Christmas Craft Ideas from The Past

Cold weather and the holidays are a good mix for setting aside time for crafting. It is also the time of year where we can look back at the evolution of holiday style and re-visit some old crafts that you haven't touched in twenty years.

1. Paper Snowflakes are a grade school classic and require the least amount of materials out of all of these project ideas.

2. Gumdrop houses were a specialty craft of my mother's in the 1980s, but if a house seems too complicated, trees made from a simple styrofoam cone base are also a retro, colorful craft.

3. Popcorn and cranberry garland is based on the German tradition dating back to the fifteenth century when children would adorn Christmas trees with fruit and nuts found in the forest.

4. Paper chains were popular as a decoration during the 1950s when more artificial decorations become commonplace, although paper chains have never gone out of fashion since they are a cheap and easy children's craft. Paper chains have even graced the windows of Anthropologie en masse during the holiday season.

5. Felt stockings are a great way to unify a family Christmas gathering and they are a timeless craft. My parents had felt stockings when they met and so as kids we each had felt stockings to match. Thirty years later, they still come out every Christmas Eve.